For Snow Week 2024, let’s head west to view operations at two tourist railroads running 2-8-2 Mikado-type steam locomotives during the winter. We’ll begin at the Sumpter Valley Railroad in McEwen, Oregon, before jumping to Nevada to chase the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. Want to see and learn more about this class of steam locomotive? […]
PHOENIX — Union Pacific has opened its Phoenix Intermodal Terminal, the latest addition to the railroad’s “pop-up” terminal strategy to test markets before building large, permanent facilities. The railroad says in an article on its website that the facility opened Feb. 1, 45 days after it first announced plans for the facility [see “Union Pacific […]
WASHINGTON — As the next mix of high winds, rain, and snow moved up the East Coast, Amtrak cancelled frequencies for trains departing late today (Tuesday, Jan. 9) and early Wednesday but managed to preserve some service on all Northeast routes. This was the same scenario the company used earlier in the week when some […]
MESA, Ariz. — Three people — the train’s operator and two passengers — were injured Wednesday when a Valley Metro light train collided with a garbage truck and derailed. The collision occurred about 9:30 a.m. near the intersection of Main Street and Robson in Mesa. Those injured were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, KSAZ-TV reported, citing […]
PHOENIX — The latest addition to the Phoenix area’s light rail system is scheduled to open Jan. 27, officials have announced. Valley Metro’s Northwest Extension Phase II will add 1.6 miles and three stations to what is currently a 28.2-mile, 38-station system. The extension will include the system’s first elevated station, as well as a rail-only […]
ADAMANA, Ariz. — One track of BNSF’s Southern Transcon main line is expected to reopen today (Thursday, Dec. 21) through Adamana at approximately 7 a.m. local time following a Wednesday derailment, according to a customer service update by the railroad. No estimate has yet been determined to reopen the second track through the site. One […]
ADAMANA Ariz. — One locomotive and 21 cars of a BNSF Railway train derailed this morning in eastern Arizona, KNXV-TV reports. No injuries were reported and no hazardous materials were involved in the incident that occurred about 7:30 a.m. about 20 miles east of Holbrook, Ariz., and about 45 miles from the New Mexico border. […]
Norfolk Southern’s Bristol Line, departing from the mainline at Walton, Virginia, west to Bristol is a vital cog in the Class One railroad’s system. Originally, the Norfolk & Western mainline routed from the coast at Norfolk to a connection with the Southern Railway at Bristol. These days the route handles a lot of freight moving […]
Five routes in Wisconsin — including both the state’s existing Amtrak lines, which seek increased service — are among those selected for the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development Program, according to members of Congress across the country. Selection provides funding for studies that are a prelude to new or expanded Amtrak service. In […]
WASHINGTON — The Brightline West high speed rail project will receive a $3 billion federal grant, enabling the line between Las Vegas, Nev., and Southern California to begin construction, according to Nevada’s two U.S. senators. Sen. Jacky Rosen confirmed the grant today (Tuesday, Dec. 5) in multiple social media posts, including one on X (formerly […]
Explore Ely, Nevada, and experience the rich history of the Nevada Northern Railway, one of the best-preserved tourist railroads in the United States. Originally built for copper ore transport, this 140-mile railway, now operating under the White Pine Historical Railroad Foundation, showcases various steam locomotives. With ongoing restoration projects and a recent $10 million grant, […]
The Green River layout is impressive. After all, at 33 x 44 feet, there’s a lot to be impressed with. Hilton Glavish, the owner of the layout, began modeling the Wyoming Division of the Union Pacific, from Echo Canyon to Green River in the 1950s, in 2012. “In 2008, I drove the road from Ogden […]
